Ischemia with Non-Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease: Sex-Based Differences in Pathophysiology, Clinical Presentation, and Prognosis.

Ischemia with non-obstructive coronary arteries (INOCA) is a chronic coronary condition associated with poor prognosis and reduced quality of life. The increasing use of invasive assessments of microcirculatory function and provocative spasm testing has significantly advanced the understanding of INOCA's pathophysiology, which ranges from coronary microvascular dysfunction to vasomotor disorders. However, the optimal management and therapeutic approach for INOCA remain to be determined.

Coronary Artery Disease and Atherosclerosis in Other Vascular Districts: Epidemiology, Risk Factors and Atherosclerotic Plaque Features.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the main cause of morbidity and death worldwide, and atherosclerosis represents the leading pathophysiological pathway responsible for CAD. Atherosclerotic process is a complex interplay of mechanisms and mediators resulting in plaque formation, progression and destabilization, the latter being the most frequent cause of acute cardiovascular events. Considering the systemic nature of atherosclerosis, polyvascular disease involvement is possible and has been described since 1960s.

Proton Pump Inhibitor Challenge to Confirm Diagnosis of Atrophic Gastritis of the Stomach: A Proposal.

Background And Aims: Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) is a known precancerous condition that can lead to the development of gastric cancer (GC). Low serum pepsinogen (PG) I levels have been proposed as a non-invasive marker for chronic atrophic gastritis of the stomach body, but the adequate upper cut-off for diagnosis remains controversial, as values ranging from 30 to 50 mcg/L are currently considered as a "grey zone". We aimed to identify patients with chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) of the stomach body amongst subjects with PG-I levels ranging between 30 and 50 mcg/L by means of a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) challenge.

Prognostic significance of individual COVADIS criteria in patients undergoing acetylcholine provocation testing.

Background: The prognostic significance of the Coronary Vasomotor Disorders International Study Group (COVADIS) criteria during acetylcholine (ACh) provocation testing is uncertain.

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic impact of COVADIS criteria in patients with myocardial ischaemia (INOCA) or myocardial infarction (MINOCA) and non-obstructive coronary arteries undergoing ACh provocation testing.

Methods: We enrolled consecutive INOCA and MINOCA patients undergoing ACh provocation testing.

A retrospective study "myo-inositol is a cost-saving strategy for controlled ovarian stimulation in non-polycystic ovary syndrome art patients.".

Background: Fertility care represents a financial burden on patients and healthcare services alike and can represent a barrier to entry for many couples. Controlled ovarian stimulation (COH) is routinely used as part of in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) procedures, as such the use of gonadotropins is a major contributing factor to the cost of the procedure. Recent studies have shown that myo-Inositol (myo-ins) may reduce the amount of gonadotrophins required in assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures.

Sex-Related Differences in the Prognostic Role of Acetylcholine Provocation Testing.

Background: Intracoronary provocation testing with acetylcholine (ACh) is helpful to diagnose and risk-stratify patients with ischemia with nonobstructed coronary arteries (NOCA) and myocardial infarction with NOCA. This study explored potential sex-related disparities on the prognostic significance of ACh provocative testing.

Methods: Consecutive patients with ischemia with NOCA and those with myocardial infarction with NOCA who underwent ACh provocation testing were enrolled.

Right ventricular-pulmonary artery coupling assessed by two-dimensional strain predicts in-hospital complications in Takotsubo syndrome.

Background: Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is an acute condition characterized by a reversible left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction leading to serious in-hospital complications (IHC). The aim of our study is to investigate the prognostic impact of right ventricular-to-pulmonary artery (RV-PA) coupling in patients with TTS.

Methods: Consecutive TTS patients were prospectively enrolled.

Hyperandrogenic eumenorrheic NON-PCOS women women with PCOS after the GnRH-agonist stimulation test preceded by suppression of adrenal steroidogenesis with dexamethasone.

The subject of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has been extensively covered in the literature; however, there is a paucity of data regarding eumenorrheic women with hyperandrogenism and/or hyperandrogenemia without ultrasound evidence of PCO morphology (EuHyperA), and even less data on the comparison between PCOS and EuHyperA subjects. It has previously been shown that around half of PCOS women exhibit a hyper-response of serum 17-hydroxy-progesterone (17-OHP) to the stimulation by GnRH-agonists, also indicated as functional ovarian hyperandrogenism (FOH). Often, this stimulation test is preceded by suppression of the adrenal steroidogenesis with oral dexamethasone (Dex).

Atherosclerotic Coronary Plaque Features in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Previous studies reported a robust relation between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and coronary artery disease (CAD). Systemic inflammation has been proposed as possible pathogenetic mechanism linking these 2 entities, although data on atherosclerotic coronary features in COPD patients are lacking. We studied atherosclerotic coronary plaque features in COPD patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) using optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Supplementation with vitamin D improves the embryo quality in in vitro fertilization (IVF) programs, independently of the patients' basal vitamin D status.

Purpose: The study aims to demonstrate the effects of Vitamin D (VD) supplementation, prior to oocyte pick-up within IVF protocols, in women with diverse VD status at the enrollment.

Methods: A total of 204 women eligible for intra-cytoplasmatic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles were included in the study and two homogeneous groups were selected from the database. Both group of patients with normal VD baseline level (> 40 ng/ml) and patients with low VD baseline level (< 20 ng/ml) were divided into control group and treatment group.

Gold nanowires-based sensor for quantification of HO released by human airway epithelial cells.

Hydrogen peroxide (HO) is a biomarker relevant for oxidative stress monitoring. Most chronic airway diseases are characterized by increased oxidative stress. To date, the main methods for the detection of this analyte are expensive and time-consuming laboratory techniques such as fluorometric and colorimetric assays.

Artificial Intelligence in Operating Room Management.

This systematic review examines the recent use of artificial intelligence, particularly machine learning, in the management of operating rooms. A total of 22 selected studies from February 2019 to September 2023 are analyzed. The review emphasizes the significant impact of AI on predicting surgical case durations, optimizing post-anesthesia care unit resource allocation, and detecting surgical case cancellations.

Short-term air pollution exposure and mechanisms of plaque instability in acute coronary syndromes: An optical coherence tomography study.

Background And Aims: Air pollution is emerging as an important risk factor for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In this study, we investigated the association between short-term air pollution exposure and mechanisms of coronary plaque instability evaluated by optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging in ACS patients.

Methods: Patients with ACS undergoing OCT imaging were retrospectively selected.

A Markov-model simulation of IVF programs for PCOS patients indicates that coupling myo-Inositol with rFSH is cost-effective for the Italian Health System.

Accumulating evidence suggests that oral supplementation with myo-Inositol (myo-Ins) is able to reduce the amount of gonadotropins and days of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COS) necessary to achieve adequate oocyte maturation in assisted reproduction technology (ART) protocols, particularly in women affected by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). We used computational calculations based on simulation modellings. We simulated in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures-with or without intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)-with 100,000 virtual patients, accounting for all the stages of the entire IVF procedure.

Insight to motor clutch model for sensing of ECM residual strain.

The mechanical microenvironment strongly affects cell state and decisions. Cell mechanosensing has been described by a which gets progressively engaged depending upon the stiffness of the extracellular material. Through the actuation of pulling forces exerted by actin fibres on the mechanosensitive talin-integrin molecular complex, cells sense and react to the stiffness of their surroundings.

Emerging Roles of Phospholipase C Beta Isozymes as Potential Biomarkers in Cardiac Disorders.

Phospholipase C (PLC) enzymes represent crucial participants in the plasma membrane of mammalian cells, including the cardiac sarcolemmal (SL) membrane of cardiomyocytes. They are responsible for the hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P) into 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG) and inositol (1,4,5) trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P), both essential lipid mediators. These second messengers regulate the intracellular calcium (Ca) concentration, which activates signal transduction cascades involved in the regulation of cardiomyocyte activity.

A comparison of different symptomatic reflux esophagitis treatments: A real-world study.

Background: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are currently the reference drugs for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), but symptoms often recur after their withdrawal. Moreover, whether prokinetics or barrier drugs used alongside PPIs are more effective remains under debate.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy of different therapeutic approaches to GERD treatment.